﻿I made RAF Ibsley for my MS Flight Simulator 2004 to commemorate the bravery of the men & women who served there during WW2, and to show what the airfield might have looked like during its operational life. It could be seen on a large screen at the 2-day Bygone Days August event held at South Gorley where Communal Site 2 was, but since that has closed I'm happy to take it anywhere locally to interested folks.Royal Air Force Station Ibsley was a former RAF station in Hampshire, on the southern edge of the village of Ibsley, and approximately 2 miles north of Ringwood. It was opened in 1941 & was used by both the Royal Air Force and United States Army Air Forces primarily as a fighter airfield. It was closed in 1947 and reverted to its former agricultural use.

During the late summer of 1941 the flying sequences for the classic film 'First of the Few' starring David Niven, Leslie Howard and Rosamund John, depicting the story of the development of the Spitfire by Reginald J. Mitchell were filmed, with pilots of No's. 118 and 501 Squadrons taking part between operational sorties.

Many squadrons were stationed at RAF Ibsley, including No's. 32, 66, 118, 124, 129, 165, 234, 257, 263, 302, 310, 312, 313, 421, 452, 501, 504 and 616 of the Royal Air Force, also No. 7 Flying Instructors School and the No 1. Glider Pick-Up Unit. Between 1942 and 1944 it was ﻿﻿﻿used﻿﻿﻿by the United States Army Air Force, the 1st Fighter Group, 8th Air Force the 48th, 367th, 371st Fighter Groups, 9th Air Force, and 67th Tactical Recce unit of the 9th Air Force.

A few wartime structures still remain at Ibsley, including the old﻿﻿Control Tower﻿﻿, the BattleHeadquarters, Direction Finding Station Blast Wall and twelve remaining Compass Points, 2 Sleeping Shelters and Stanton Shelters, a lovely but dilapidated Airmens Latrine Block, and opposite on the south side of Ellingham Drove is a large newly discovered brick Emergency Water Storage Tank, just visible above the ground-level surface. 9 of these Tanks are on the Record Site Plan, 4 of them on the Communal Sites.Large areas of man-made lakes now replace the areas that supported the 3 runways.

Two local organisations, the RAF Ibsley Historical Group and the RAF Ibsley Airfield Heritage Trust exist to further interest in the old airfield. The Trust hopes to rescue the unique but dilapidated Control Tower.For any comments contact terryindorset@hushmail.com